Could October deliver another thrilling slugfest between the rival Dodgers and Padres?

Or, it could be the Diamondbacks’ turn again on the big fall stage.

In the loaded NL West, Shohei Ohtani and the big-money Dodgers remain the team to beat after winning 11 of the last 12 division titles, but several clubs look like contenders to make a postseason splash.

Buster Posey is doing his best to make sure the Giants are at least part of the playoff conversation. The former star catcher is now in charge of personnel and roster building as the Giants try to get back into contention.

Chasing down the Dodgers remains a tall order for the other clubs, especially with Ohtani expected back on the mound sometime later this spring.

How they project

1. Dodgers: The defending World Series-winning champions have put their trust not only in Ohtani but also in manager Dave Roberts, who enters his 10th season with the highest winning percentage in major league history at .627 (851-507) and a new four-year contract that takes him through the 2029 campaign. The Dodgers added two-time Cy Young Award-winning lefty Blake Snell on a five-year, $182 million contract and also landed Japanese phenom Roki Sasaki to deepen their starting rotation. Freddie Freeman will have to manage his surgically repaired right ankle.

2. Diamondbacks: There are high expectations for the Diamondbacks after owner Ken Kendrick opened up his wallet in the offseason to add ace right-hander Corbin Burnes on a six-year, $210 million deal. The D-backs could have one of the deepest starting rotations in baseball with Burns, Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodriguez and Brandon Pfaadt. The 2023 NL champs scored the most runs in the big leagues in 2024 with a group led by Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, Eugenio Suarez and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. First baseman Christian Walker left in free agency, but the D-backs quickly filled the hole by adding slugger Josh Naylor in a deal with the Guardians. Naylor had 31 homers and 108 RBIs last season. The D-backs don’t have the star power of the Dodgers, but they still have high hopes for a return to the playoffs and possibly a deep run in October.

3. Padres: In a thrilling division series last October, the Padres stretched the rival Dodgers to the limit before a brutal 24-inning scoring drought doomed their talent-laden roster. The Padres have the personnel to shake it off while resuming their chase of the powerhouse to the north. Fernando Tatís Jr. and Manny Machado return with gifted youngster Jackson Merrill atop an excellent lineup. Early-spring signee Nick Pivetta supplements Dylan Cease, Michael King and Yu Darvish at the top of a solid rotation. The bullpen is also loaded with options behind All-Star closer Robert Suarez. On paper, the Padres again have the talent to contend for their first World Series title. They just need to get it done.

4. Giants: Posey quickly got to work building around Logan Webb and some other key young faces for a club that went 80-82 to finish fourth in the West and miss the playoffs for a third straight season since its division title and franchise-best 107-win 2021 campaign. Justin Verlander signed a one-year, $15 million contract and shortstop Willy Adames received a seven-year, $182 million deal in December. This will be the 20th season for the 42-year-old Verlander, a three-time AL Cy Young Award winner.

5. Rockies: A youth movement highlighted by Gold Glove-winning shortstop Ezequiel Tovar will try to snap a string of six straight losing seasons. The Rockies’ projected win total is 59 1/2 by Bet MGM, which would put them at 100 losses for a third straight season. The 21-year-old Tovar hit .269 with 26 homers last season, while 26-year-old Brenton Doyle captured his second straight Gold Glove for patrolling center field at cavernous Coors Field. The rotation will feature hard-throwing right-handers Antonio Senzatela and Germán Márquez, who are making their way back to full strength from elbow injuries.

Ohtani’s timeline

Roberts has said Ohtani could return to the mound in May, but the Dodgers manager has been intentionally vague about the timeline as the team tries to set the three-time MVP up for a healthy 2025. He was limited to hitting only in 2024 following offseason elbow surgery, then had surgery on his left, non-throwing shoulder after the World Series. Ohtani slowed his work on the mound in the leadup to the Tokyo Series so he could concentrate on his hitting.

Arráez on the move?

Three-time NL batting champ Luis Arráez could be on the move again this season. The Padres acquired Arráez from the Marlins last May and played him mostly at first base, but there’s speculation the Padres could seek to trade him before he becomes a free agent after the 2025 season. Arráez is a career .323 hitter, but after posting a .393 on-base percentage and 4.6 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2023, those numbers dipped to .346 and 1.0 in 2024.

AP writers David Brandt, Greg Beacham, Pat Graham and Beth Harris contributed.